Dandelion Pizza

Isn’t it funny how we struggle so hard to coax certain plants into growing in our gardens, yet the ones that grow the most vigorously (and are at times are the most unwelcome!) are often also the most delicious and nutritious plants to eat? Every spring, dandelions are everywhere in my garden, well before my spinach, Swiss chard, kale, and other greens are ready to eat. So when I pull them out of my garden beds, instead of discarding them onto the weed pile, I’ll often fill up a big bowl and use their bright green leaves in salads, stir frys, basically any recipe where I would normally use spinach. They’re bitter, so you have to be prepared for a bold flavor. But by far, my most delicious use for dandelion greens is putting them on pizza. Sauteed with a little garlic and white wine, sprinkled on top of a chewy crust smothered in white sauce, their bitterness is smoothed out and balanced to perfection.

It has always fascinated me how badly we want to get rid of certain wild-growing plants, when they can actually provide us with more nutrition than their more domesticated counterparts. Let’s compare for instance dandelion and spinach. In her book Eating on the Wild Side, Jo Robinson explains that compared to spinach, dandelion leaves have “eight times more antioxidants, two times more calcium, three times more Vitamin A, and five times more vitamin K and vitamin E.” Dandelion greens are literally one of the most nutrient-dense green you can eat! They’re also very beneficial for our liver, and don’t our livers all need a bit more love and care? 

So next time you see dandelions on your lawn or in your garden, don’t treat them as your enemy when they just want to be your friend!

Dandelions are edible from top to bottom: flowers, root, and leaves. You can make dandelion marmalade from the blossoms, coffee substitute by roasting the roots, and faux ‘capers’ with the buds. I even took part in a basket-making workshop this spring where we wove dandelion stems into our baskets!

In this episode, you’ll see me weeding my garlic bed. It’s so satisfying to weed your garden and tidy it all up, and then to be left with a bowlful of delicious greens as a reward for all your weeding. It’s also a way to get more out of the garden, earlier in the season. 

I made this pizza for a potluck party this spring and it was a real hit, so many people commented how delicious it was. It’s a bit of work, but very much worth it. And whenever I make it, I make a double batch and freeze some because it makes an easy quick lunch, heated up in our toaster oven straight from the freezer. I hope you enjoy!